Yellow Wagtail 135 new ringed August 2010 – 2014 Photo : Jon Evans

St James South Elmham

Ringing report August 2010 - 2014

The Waveney Bird Clubs ringing team has been conducting ringing sessions at this site since August 2010. The site is located in an area of largely arable farming, on the edge of the village of St James South Elmham, grid reference TM 31436 80968. The surrounding land comprises mainly of large scale arable fields, up to about 40 hectares in size. Typical crops include winter wheat, peas, sugar beet and oilseed rape. There is in general, low habitat connectivity and low biodiversity due to a lack of hedgerow features, mature trees or woodland areas. The site is within a few kilometres of airfield and , which has been known to host breeding populations of Yellow Wagtails.

Photo: Arial view of the site.

The artificial reed bed was created by the landowner as a Bioremediation method to filter pig slurry from a neighbouring intensive pig unit. It comprises of two separate but adjoining areas of common reed ( Phragmites Australis ), which grows to approximately 2 metres in height, on an area of almost 0.3 hectares. In addition there is two slurry pits and a small final stage drainage pond.

Photo: Looking over the reed beds towards the slurry pits

Ringing Activities - 33 Species ringed

2 2 0 0 1 1 0 2011 2 2013 2014

Grand N R T N R T N R T N R T N R T Total 19+3 11+ Reed Warbler 20 1 21 pul 6 28 1pul 2 14 7 3 10 20 17 37 110

Sedge Warbler 9 2 11 1 1 3 3 15

Willow Warbler 1 1 2 2 3

Chiff Chaff 1 1 7 7 8 Whitethroat 7 7 6 6 4 4 25 5 30 47

Reed Bunting 72 22 94 67 11 78 12 8 20 71 23 94 149 46 195 481 Pied Wagtail 66 3 69 54 1 55 12 1 13 102 11 113 90 10 100 350

Yellow Wagtail 22 1 23 88 1 89 1 1 2 2 22 22 137 Swallow 13 2 15 43 1 44 13 13 10 10 37 1 38 120

Sand Martin 7 2 9 9 House Martin 17 17 17

Yellowhammer 1 1 1 1 2 Linnet 2 2 1 1 10 10 13

Meadow Pipit 1 1 6 6 7 Goldfinch 2 2 2

Greenfinch 1 1 1 Chaffinch 3 3 2 2 5

Robin 2 2 1 1 3 3 4 2 6 12 Wren 3 3 4 1 5 3 4 7 15 5 20 15 16 31 66

Great Tit 1 1 1 1 2 Blue Tit 1 1 10 1 11 1 1 4 2 6 30 17 47 66

Stock Dove 1 1 1 Woodpigeon 1 1 1

Starling 5 5 5 HouseSparrow 1 1 1

Blackbird 1 1 2 2 5 5 8 Dunnock 1 1 1 Snipe 3 3 3 Jack Snipe 1 1 1

Water Rail 2 1 3 3 Moorhen 2 1 3 3 Greenshank 1 1 1 Green Sandpiper 6 6 4 1 5 11

24 301+ 63+ TOTAL 216 31 7 3 pul 24 328 1pul 15 79 233 44 277 464 117 581 1512

N - New birds ringed for the first time. R – Retrap, birds previously ringed. These birds will have been ringed on this site or within a 5km radius.

T – Total birds for year. Pul – Pullis, a young bird ringed whilst still in the nest.

Ringing studies were started in August 2010 to determine if there was a presence of birds using the reed bed as an overnight roost, also to determine the importance of the site as a migration stop over point. Observations had shown the reed bed was being used by Reed and Sedge Warblers together with Reed Buntings during the breeding season and it was hoped to discover how important the reed bed was to species such as Yellow and Pied Wagtails, Swallows and Sand Martins.

Methodology

In the period from August 2010 up to the end of December 2014 some 1512 birds have been processed using BTO rings on a CMR basis ( Capture, Mark,Release ). Mist nets were used as the predominant method of catching and dependent upon weather conditions between 90 and 150 metres of nets were erected at each session. In 2013 it was decided to deploy 2 Ecotone two shelf nets on the perimeter edge of the small drainage pond in an attempt to catch Green Sandpipers which had been seen during earlier visits. In addition, on some occasions Potter traps were positioned to ascertain if species such as Snipe, Moorhen, or Water Rail were present.

The site was initially being monitored as a habitat for roosting species. A roost session requires the nets to be in position and open approximately one hour before dusk, in readiness for the birds arriving for their overnight stay. However for 2014 it was decided to increase the number of sessions and include some day time hours within the ongoing monitoring programme. We are delighted to be able to report this has proven to be extremely rewarding as can be seen from the species list on page 3.

2010 - Roost sessions 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th August. 11th September.

2011 - Roost sessions 6th March, 26th June, 14th, 21st August, 10th December.

2012 - Roost sessions 3rd, 13th, 22nd March. 12th, 18th August. 2nd September.

2013 - Roost sessions 19th, 28th August, 3rd, 22nd, 29th September, 6th October, 10th, 23rd November.

2014 - Roost sessions 2nd February, 1st March, 27th April, 15th May, 18th June, 14th July.

2014 - Daytime sessions 23rd, 27th July, 1st, 4th, 9th, 19th 26th Aug, 7th, 14th, 28th September, 9th, 21st, 30th November, 14th, 31st December. Analysis 33 Species have been processed over the five year period August 2010 – 2013. Whereas the numbers of new Reed Buntings ( 371 ), Pied Wagtails ( 324 ), Reed warblers ( 81 ) were in evidence in all years, it can be seen that Yellow Wagtails ( 135 ) were prominent in 2010 / 2011, however the numbers were low in 2012 / 2013. Sedge Warblers ( 15 ) were not recorded in 2011 / 2012. Swallows ( 116 ) were recorded in each year, which supports the original belief of this species using the site as an overnight roost prior to their migration to Africa. The use of Potter traps in 2012 - 2014 proved the presence of Snipe ( 3 ), Jack Snipe ( 1 ) with the highlight of 2014 being the catch of Water Rail and Moorhen. The Potter trap method of catching will continue to be used when conditions are favourable.

The highlight of 2013 has to be the success of using the Ecotone two shelf nets for the catching of Greenshank ( 1 ) and Green Sandpiper ( 6 ). The “ BTO Summary of ringing totals “, shows there were only 10 Green Sandpipers ringed in the whole of during 2013.

Reed Bunting 371 new ringed 2010 - 2014 Pied Wagtail 324 new ringed 2010 - 2014

Photo : Jon Evans Photo : Barry Woodhouse

Green Sandpiper 10 new ringed 2013 - 2014 Swallow 116 new ringed 2010 – 2014

Photo : Jon Evans Photo : Harry Read

Moorhen 2 new ringed in 2014 Water Rail 2 new ringed 2014

Photo : Barry Woodhouse Photo : Barry Woodhouse

Recovery

A recovery is defined as a bird that generates a recovery report which is sent to the finder and ringer of a ringed bird. Any ringed bird which has been controlled ( ie is wearing a ring put on at a different site ) For most species, this is a movement of 5 km ( 2.84 miles ) or more, between site of ringing and site of recapture. However, some species are only regarded as controls if they move longer distances, eg for Sand Martins the distance is greater than 10 km ( 5.68 miles ).

The following are birds which have been recovered at St James and the details have been supplied via the BTO:-

L097256 Reed Warbler Juvenile, ringed 31.07.2010. at , .

Finder caught 15.05.2014. at St James, Suffolk.

L242430 Sedge Warbler Juvenile, ringed 04.08.2010. at East Chevington, Northumberland.

Finder caught 09.08.2010. at St James, Suffolk.

X022185 Swallow Juvenile, ringed 14.08.2010. at Orfordness, Suffolk.

Finder caught 23.08.2010. at St James, Suffolk.

L724984 Swallow Juvenile, ringed 14.08.2011. at St James, Suffolk.

Finder caught 01.09.2011. at Marsh, Suffolk.

L724438 Yellow Wagtail Juvenile Male, ringed 21.08.2011. at St James, Suffolk

Finder caught 17.04.2013. Nieuwpoort, Belgium.

This is the third BTO ringed Yellow Wagtail to be reported in Belgium, presumably on its way back to its Suffolk breeding grounds.

Y331498 Reed Bunting Juvenile, ringed 10.12.2011. at Hulver, Suffolk.

Finder caught 13.03.2012. at St James, Suffolk.

L876867 Pied Wagtail Juvenile, ringed 29.09.2013. at St James, Suffolk.

Bird found dead 22.02.2014. at , Suffolk.

D797536 Reed Bunting First Year, ringed 02.04.2014. at Downham Market, Norfolk.

Finder caught 31.12.2014. at St James, Suffolk.

Z003777 Swallow Juvenile, ringed 04.08.2014. at St James, Suffolk.

Finder caught 30.08.2014. at Iken Marsh, Suffolk.

Report compiled on behalf of the Waveney Bird Club by Allan Smith, Roger Walsh and Chris Mcintyre.

With Thanks to Mr Richard Hadingham, landowner for his kind permission to do the numerous ringing sessions conducted to date.